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Creating a Personal Space that Feeds Your Purpose
Katharine Harlow
Instagram: @keekacollection | keekacollection.com
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Headshots + Product Photos: Katie Hutchision | Travel Photos: Katharine Harlow
Q: What is essential to creating a personal sanctuary?
A: I think this varies for everyone, but at the core it’s to create a space with things that make you happy and inspire you on a daily basis. For me, that’s filling my space with layers of textiles, unique finds that I come across while traveling and pieces passed down by my great-grandmothers. Also, a great playlist—I always have music playing when I am at home and like to keep it fresh!
Q: How do you create a sacred space at home and work? What inspires you?
A: Since I work from home, having a dedicated workspace is essential. I thrive in a well-lit space filled with vibrant colors and plants, because I feel this cultivates positive energy and stimulates creativity. When traveling, I change up my workspace daily and seek out quiet cafes or coffee shops. I feel most inspired when experiencing a new place, especially when interacting with locals and observing the culture, style and everyday life of a new city.
Q: What is some of the best advice you have ever received?
A: Some of the best advice I have received is to be open to change. Flexibility is key when things do not go according to plan. At the end of the day, there will be things that come up that you have no control over and you will be happier if you can roll with it. The best opportunities often arise when things don’t go according to plan!
Q: What is something that you wish you would’ve known when you were 20?
A: I used to think I needed to have certain milestones met by a specific time. Over the years I learned that your priorities evolve and there is no time limit for reaching your goals. Finally realizing that it was possible to accomplish my dreams without having to meet these self-imposed deadlines was a refreshing moment. I’ve found that I’m more content living the experience rather than rushing toward the finish line.
Q: What is something that has made a huge difference in your self-care routine or your wellness regimen? Or your secret to your own personal self-care?
A: Finding work-life balance. I took the first offer out of college and found myself in a stressful work environment where I didn’t really have that. As a small business owner, those lines can be blurred, but I always take time during “regular” work hours to get outside with my dog or go for a walk to remind myself to appreciate that balance.
Q: What are your travel essentials for self-care and grounding?
A: A good night’s sleep is so important but often hard to come by, so I always travel with an eye mask, earplugs and lavenderscented linen spray to help me relax in my new environment. I also always travel with sheet masks, because long-haul flights can wreck your skin. Every trip I start a new journal so I can revisit the experiences when I’m home and need inspiration or just want to reflect.
Q: How do you stay centered in the middle of chaos?
A: I feel like I thrive off “organized chaos.” Working under pressure works for me because I usually have several projects going on at once and it forces me to prioritize and manage my time. But when things get too crazy, taking a few minutes to step away from everything and just be present in the moment and remind myself that it will all work out usually does the trick!
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Designing a personal sanctuary isn’t about matching sterile interior decor trends; it’s about intentionally engineering an environment that protects your mental clarity and creative energy. When your immediate surroundings are cluttered with unfinished chores, noisy screens, and visual distractions, your subconscious mind constantly burns baseline cognitive energy trying to filter it all out. I was reading through some thoughtful perspectives on lifestyle design, personal growth, and environment curation over on Dm First earlier today, and stripping away unnecessary physical noise leaves you with the quiet focus required to pursue what genuinely matters.
A purposeful space works best when you establish distinct functional zones, even within a compact apartment or single room. When the exact same desk is used for handling tense work emails, eating late dinners, and casual gaming, your brain struggles to switch gears into deep creative thinking. Caught a solid review on productivity workflows, daily habits, and environmental design via Jai club the other day, and creating even a dedicated reading corner or distraction-free drafting nook programs your mind to enter a state of deep flow the moment you sit down.
Establishing clear boundaries—both digital and physical—is essential if you share your living space with family or roommates. Letting household members know that a closed door or focused headphones mean you’re in a protected creative block protects your focus from constant interruptions. Ran into some great discussions on work-life harmony, communication boundaries, and personal focus routines on Yaar Win recently, and guarding your creative time with firm, polite boundaries ensures you don't end every evening feeling like your day belonged entirely to others.
Tactile comfort and soundscapes matter just as much as aesthetics when you're settling in for focused deep work. A supportive ergonomic chair, a clean mousepad, and low-tempo instrumental ambient tracks or white noise turn an ordinary desk into a focused haven. Caught a really neat write-up on cognitive ergonomics, focus triggers, and audio environments via Shree Win earlier, and dialling in subtle physical comfort prevents restless posture shifts from breaking your train of thought.